Security of information is an important consideration in a variety of modern transactions and storage. For example, electronic mail accounts and access to automated teller machines (ATM) are areas where authentication (i.e., proof or verification that the account being accessed is authorized by the owner of the account) have long been required. However, as fraud, identify theft, and similar activities become more prevalent, additional measures for protecting other devices and accounts may be necessary to fully protect information. Credit card transactions and certain telephone communications are examples where authentication is increasingly required in order to proceed with a transaction or complete a customer service call, respectively.
In all such cases where authentication is required, an account holder must be able to provide security information (i.e., credentials) in order to receive access to an account or other secure information. In some cases, the account holder is required to change such credentials on a periodic basis. In other cases, the credentials are complex, including a combination of secure passwords and personal questions. Account holders are often encouraged to avoid using credentials that are familiar, such as names of pets or children, or numbers in the form of birthdays or anniversaries. As the number of accounts that an account holder maintains increases, the account holder may have more difficulty remembering the various credentials and keeping such credentials secure.